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This seminar focused on the priorities for employability support in Wales as the Welsh Government develops its Employability Delivery Plan ahead of it’s publication at the end of 2017.

It followed the announcement that the Plan will be underpinned by a new ‘Working Wales’ employability offer to be delivered from April 2019, which will replace programmes such as ReAct, Jobs Growth Wales and the Employability Skills Programme and Traineeships.

Delegates considered the challenges for developing a cross-government approach to employability that addresses modern employment practices, and for building on existing commitments to create 100,000 apprenticeships, and introduce employment and training hubs in areas of high deprivation.

Further sessions assessed priorities for ensuring effective support across all communities in Wales, including the role of the Valleys as a test bed, with jobs-growth the first priority in the Ministerial Taskforce for the Valley’s Our Valleys, Our Future action plan.

Attendees also considered the implications of Brexit on the funding of services, with EU Structural Funds set to cease in April 2019, opportunities to improve careers services, and the wider priorities for further developing Wales’ skills system across further education, apprenticeships and lifelong learning.

This timely seminar discusses the priorities for energy policy in Wales, following the introduction of devolved responsibilities under the Wales Act. Bringing together policymakers and key stakeholders, the agenda includes a keynote address from Lesley Griffiths AM, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Welsh Government.

Delegates will assess what the new responsibilities for energy generation projects under 350MW will mean for stakeholders, including the electricity network, energy companies, communities and consumers across Wales. They will also examine next steps in the development of the Swansea Tidal Lagoon and Wylfa Newydd projects, with further keynote contributions from Mark Shorrock, Chief Executive, Tidal Lagoon Power and Sasha Davies, Head of Strategic Development Wales, Horizon Nuclear Power.

Further sessions examine Wales’ access to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism and the potential for future access to CfD for onshore wind - with the second allocation round already underway. The barriers to investment in the renewables sector will also be considered, following the announcement of a new Welsh Government target - to generate 70% of Wales’ electricity through renewable sources by 2030.

This seminar will examine the priorities for social services in Wales. It comes as the Welsh Government prepares to introduce a Local Government Bill next year to improve the integration between local authorities and deliver social services at a regional level, following its consultation on the local government White Paper.

It will be an opportunity to consider the implementation of the Social Services and Wellbeing Act, including the effectiveness of regional partnership boards and the challenges involved with the introduction of pooled budgets for health and social care.

Delegates will also discuss the initial impact of the first stage of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care Act - which reformed workforce regulation and registration arrangements and established Social Care Wales. There will also be consideration of the implications of the second and third stages of the Act ahead of their implementation in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Further sessions will discuss key measures from the National Dementia Strategy, the effectiveness of the £60m Integrated Care Fund and the challenges and opportunities surrounding the delivery of social services at a regional level; including establishing governance arrangements, improving financial and workforce resilience, and integrating local authorities.

Delegates at this seminar will discuss the challenges and opportunities for the Welsh Economy as the United Kingdom prepares to withdraw from the European Union.

It follows the Welsh Government’s white paper on Brexit which sets out its priorities ahead of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, including retaining full access to the Single Market, guaranteeing the rights of EU migrants living in Wales, the replacement of current EU funding and the establishment of a transitional phrase after Brexit.

Planned sessions will examine what Brexit will mean for different sectors of the Welsh Economy, with uncertainty over the terms of transferring EU legislation to UK law, and the challenges for adapting to new trading arrangements.

Delegates will also consider the wider implications of Brexit on devolution - following the Welsh Government’s policy document- with questions surrounding the future framework of inter-governmental relations regarding the forthcoming repatriation of powers from the EU.

This seminar examined the priorities for improving the quality of cancer care in Wales, as the Welsh Government and Wales Cancer Network work alongside key stakeholders to implement the Cancer Delivery Plan for Wales 2016-20.

It followed the launch of the Welsh Government’s £80m Treatment Fund in January, and subsequent review in July that showed all applicable medicines have been made available.

It also came after changes to the Individual Patient Funding Request process (IPFR) following March’s independent review which recommended decisions be based on the expected clinical benefit and value for money of treatments.

Delegates discussed the potential for diagnosing more cancers earlier, implementing the ‘Danish model’ of treatment through improved cancer pathways and one-stop diagnostic centres, reshaping services to reduce waiting times and improving access to medicines and treatments.

This seminar focused on priorities for delivering the Swansea City Deal and developing the Swansea Bay City Region.

It followed the signing of the £1.3bn deal, and was an opportunity for policymakers and key stakeholders to discuss the next steps for delivering the infrastructure, skills and funding necessary to realise the deal’s ambition of putting the region at the forefront of cutting edge developments within the digital economy, health and energy industries.

With the deal expected to contribute £3.3bn to the regional economy and support the creation of 33,000 jobs, delegates considered the implications for businesses, productivity and economic growth across the region, alongside delivering the deal’s 11 major projects to make these benefits a reality.

As a new curriculum in Wales is developed with involvement from a range of bodies, this timely conference brought parties together to discuss objectives and priorities for its successful co-construction - with the Welsh Government planning for a staggered roll out of the new curriculum from 2022.

Delegates discussed the reform initiatives and how they might be better aligned; the role of pioneer schools as innovators and developers of curriculum reform, and the policy priorities for turning into reality the vision for curriculum reform in Wales originally proposed by Professor Graham Donaldson.

Further sessions considered key issues around leadership and direction in the formulation of the curriculum; challenges for ensuring that the new curriculum is focused, robust and underscored by clarity and organisational cohesion; engagement with those not directly involved in the curriculum reform process; and opportunities for innovation.

This seminar focused on efforts to tackle poverty in Wales, including the role of early intervention, welfare reform and the creation of routes out of poverty.

It was timed as the Welsh Government phased out its headline anti-poverty programme Communities First - with funding only committed up to 70% of current levels until 2018 - and pursues a new approach to tackling poverty focused around support for those furthest from the labour market and extra support investment in early intervention for children and families.

The seminar was an opportunity to discuss the implementation of the new approach and its implications as well as further strategies and policies - local, national and UK-wide - designed to address the root causes of poverty such as welfare and minimum wage reform, housing policy and investment in reducing educational attainment gaps.

Sessions also considered how economic growth policy for deprived regions and communities in Wales can deliver routes out of poverty. Delegates heard what lessons can be learnt from Lansbury Park, considered to be one of Wales’ most deprived communities. Uncertainty over the impact of Brexit on the funding for key Welsh Government skills and employability programmes and use of Structural Funds for regeneration was also discussed.

This seminar focused on the future of older people's care in Wales, including changes to inspection and regulation arrangements, new models of care, challenges for finance and dementia care.

The seminar took place as the Welsh Government moves forward with plans for Local Health Boards and councils to pool budgets to deliver health and social services.

It came as policymakers and stakeholders planned the implementation of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act from April 2018 which includes a new regulation and inspection framework with potentially substantial implications for quality, accountability and patient safety. It also followed the announcement of £35m a year additional funds for social care, an increase in the maximum charge for domiciliary care and plans to raise the capital threshold before which charges are incurred for residential care to £50,000 by 2021.

Delegates assessed priorities for the development and implementation of a national dementia strategy, as the Welsh Government considered its response to its consultation, alongside the potential for improved diagnosis, innovation and patient experience within dementia care. Further sessions considered next steps in the regulation of older people’s care, strategies for moving from acute care to care in the community and options for the future of social care finance.

This seminar focused on the future of waste policy in Wales and the implications for waste management, energy generation and the circular economy.

It came as the Welsh Government updated its waste strategy Towards Zero Waste and seeks to become a zero waste nation by 2050.

The seminar took place during uncertainty over the impact of Brexit on waste regulations, and as Wales prepares to implement its own landfill tax.

Delegates also discussed the impact of legislation such as the Environment (Wales) Act, Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act and Planning (Wales) Act on waste policy.

Further planned sessions focused on managing waste to deliver the target of recycling 70% of waste by 2025, developing the circular economy and progress so far in gaining energy from waste and the potential for further action.

This seminar provided an opportunity to discuss the future of Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision in Wales.

It was timed as the Welsh Government undertook its Additional Learning Needs Transformation programme, which aims to create a unified system for supporting learners from 0 to 25 with ALN, and is underpinned by the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill introduced to the National Assembly for Wales in December 2016.

Delegates discussed the implementation of the transformation programme which places an increased focus on early identification, changes all references to SEN to ALN, sees the creation of an individualised plan for each young person with ALN, and simplifies the dispute resolution system.

Delegates at this conference examined the potential for new ways of working to transform primary care, at a time when provision across Wales faces substantial pressures and as innovative new ways of working are developed to tackle the issues.

The seminar came as the Welsh Government neared the end of its primary care service plan up to 2018 and as the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee carried out its inquiry into primary care. Delegates discussed the role of different primary care services within the provision of care and the extent to which greater co-operation between branches of primary care could improve access and reduce workforce shortages.

They also considered the potential for innovation within primary care to transform the provision of services. This included the continuing development of GP Clusters and Multidisciplinary Teams, the success of schemes such as Choose Pharmacy in allowing pharmacists to play a greater role within primary care and the extent to which technological advancements within patient records, appointments and remote consultations are relieving pressures on services.